You can see that there is a pretty large spike around August 20, 2001. Checking Wikipedia, we find that it was on this date that Regis Philbin broke the record for Most Hours on Camera, with 15,188.
Also, I'm sure all the "top scientists," as the article calls them, study magic boxes that tell the future. I mean, who needs new treatments for diseases or new technology or pictures of faraway planets when you can study some magic calculator with psychic powers!